Molossians
The Molossians ( ) were an ancient GreekThe Cambridge ancient history,Tome 6,by John Boardman,ISBN-0521850738,1994,page 434Errington, Malcolm R. A History of Macedonia. University of California Press, 1993, ISBN 0520063198. "The Molossians were the strongest and, decisive for Macedonia, most easterly of the three most important Epeirot tribes, which, like Macedonia but unlike the Thesprotians and the Chaonians, still retained their monarchy. They were Greeks, spoke a similar dialect to that of Macedonia, suffered just as much from the depredations of the Illyrians and were in principle the natural partners of the Macedonian king who wished to tackle the Illyrian problem at its roots." "Speakers of these various Greek dialects settled different parts of Greece at different times during the Middle Bronze Age, with one group, the 'northwest' Greeks, developing their own dialect and peopling central Epirus. This was the origin of the Molossian or Epirotic tribes." "...a proper dialect of Greek, like the dialects spoken by Dorians and Molossians." "The western mountains were peopled by the Molossians (the western Greeks of Epirus)." "That the Molossians...spoke Illyrian or another barbaric tongue was nowhere suggested, although Aeschylus and Pindar wrote of Molossian lands. That they in fact spoke Greek was implied by Herodotus' inclusion of Molossi among the Greek colonists of Asia Minor, but became demonstrable only when D. Evangelides published two long inscriptions of the Molossian State, set up p. 369 B.C at Dodona, in Greek and with Greek names, Greek patronymies and Greek tribal names such as Celaethi, Omphales, Tripolitae, Triphylae, etc. As the Molossian cluster of tribes in the time of Hecataeus included the Orestae, Pelagones, Lyncestae, Tymphaei and Elimeotae, as we have argued above, we may be confident that they too were Greek-speaking." "Epirus was a land of milk and animal products...The social unit was a small tribe, consisting of several nomadic or semi-nomadic groups, and these tribes, of which more than seventy names are known, coalesced into large tribal coalitions, three in number: Thesprotians, Molossians and Chaonians...We know from the discovery of inscriptions that these tribes were speaking the Greek language (in a West-Greek dialect)." tribe that settled Epirus during Mycenaean times. On their northeast frontier they had the Chaonians and to their southern frontier the kingdom of the Thesprotians, to their north were the Illyrians. The Molossians were part of the League of Epirus until they were annexed into the Roman Empire and 150,000 of its inhabitants were enslaved. Mythology According to Greek mythology, the Molossians were the descendants of Molossus, one of the three sons of Neoptolemus, son of Achilles and Deidamia. Following the sack of Troy, Neoptolemus and his armies settled in Epirus where they joined with the local population. Molossus inherited the kingdom of Epirus after the death of Helenus, son of Priam and Hecuba of Troy, who had married his erstwhile sister-in-law Andromache after Neoptolemus' death. Plutarch tells us that according to some historians their first king was Phaethon, one of those who came into Epirus with Pelasgus. Plutarch also says, that Deucalion and Pyrrha, having set up the worship of Zeus at Dodona, settled there among the Molossians.Pyrrhus by Plutarch. Ancient sources Strabo tells us that the Molossians, along with the Chaonians and Thesprotians, were the most famous among the fourteen tribes of Epirus, who once ruled over the whole region. The Chaonians ruled Epirus at an earlier time and afterwards the Thesprotians and Molossians controlled the region. PlutarchThe Internet Classics Archive - Pyrrhus by Plutarch tells us that the Thesprotians, the Chaonians and the Molossians were the three principal clusters of Greek-speaking tribes that had emerged from Epirus and were the most powerful among all other tribes. The Molossians were also renowned for their vicious hounds, which were used by shepherds to guard their flocks. This is where the canine breed Molossoid, native to Greece, got its name. Virgil tells us that in ancient Greece the heavier Molossian dogs were often used by the Greeks and Romans for hunting (canis venaticus) and to watch over the house and livestock (canis pastoralis). "Never, with them on guard," says Virgil, "need you fear for your stalls a midnight thief, or onslaught of wolves, or Iberian brigands at your back." Strabo records that the Thesprotians, Molossians, and Macedonians referred to old men as pelioi and old women as peliai (<PIE *pel-'', 'grey'). Cf. Ancient Greek ''peleia, "pigeon", so-called because of its dusky grey color. Ancient Greek pelos meant "grey".Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott - An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon. Their senators were called Peligones, similar to Macedonian Peliganes. Royal House of Molossis The most famed member of the Molossian dynasty was Pyrrhus, who became famous for his Pyrrhic victory over the Romans. According to Plutarch, Pyrrhus was the son of Aeacides of Epirus and a Greek woman from Thessaly named Phthia, the daughter of a war hero in the Lamian War. Pyrrhus was a second cousin of Alexander the Great. In the 4th century BC, they had adopted the term for office of prostates (Greek: Προστάτες)Horsley, G.H.R. New Documents Illustrating Early Christianity. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1987, ISBN 0858375990. More recently still N.G.L. Hammond JHS 105 1985 156-160 has examined a number or Macedonian terms for office in the period 336-309 BC...prostates was the name for the senior civic official beside the king...and various tribal states like (the Molossoi and Chaonians).''Hornblower, Simon. ''The Greek World, 479-323 BC. Routledge, 2002, p. 199, ISBN 0415163269. "Even before about 385 the Molossian tribes had combined with the neighbouring Thesprotians and Chaonians to form a Molossian state with a king and officials called prostates (president), grammateus (secretary), and tribal representatives called demiourgoi also hieromnemones some kind of cult figure. (See for all of this SGDI 1334-67; also SEG 23.471: fifteen synarchontes federal officials. This inscription shows that Orestis was part of the federal organization, that is the koinon or federation embraced an area which would later be Macedonian territory.)" literally meaning "protectors" like most Greek tribal states at the time. Other terms for office were grammateus (Greek: Γραμματέυς) meaning "secretary", demiourgoi (Greek: Δημιουργοί) literally meaning "creators", hieromnemones (Greek: Ιερομνήμονες) literally meaning "of the sacred memory" and synarchontes (Greek: Συνάρχοντες) literally meaning "co-rulers"Boardman, John. The Cambridge Ancient History. Cambridge University Press, 1923, p. 431, ISBN 0521233488. "The officials of the Molossian state were the king, the leader (prostates) the secretary (grammateus) and the ten demiourgoi one for each tribe that made up the group (e.g. Arctanes, Genoaei)." An inscription from the 4th centuryBrock, Roger and Hodkinson, Stephen. Alternatives to Athens: Varieties of Political Organization. Oxford University Press, 2000, p. 250, ISBN 0198152205. D.13 Dodona, sanctuary of Zeus; bronze plaque 343-331? Carapanos (1878) i. 27. 3; SGDI 1335; Fraser (1954) 57 n. 13 (Attributing to the 4th century and to Alexandros I); Hammond (1967), 535-6 (restoring 'of the Molossians' rather than 'of the Epeirotai'); Cabanes (1967a) 541 no. 5." stated (referring to Alexander I of Epirus); Dodona was used for the display of public decisions.Brock, Roger and Hodkinson, Stephen. Alternatives to Athens: Varieties of Political Organization. Oxford University Press, 2000, p. 257, ISBN 0198152205. Molossians use of Dodona as a noticeboard for the display of public decisions (on present evidence) the 360 onwards. Despite having a monarchy, the Molossians sent princesAlcock, Susan E. and Osborne, Robin. Classical Archaeology. Blackwell Publishing, 2007, p. 392, ISBN 0631234187. "Tribes like the Molossians of Epirus claimed descent from Homeric heroes and sent princes to Athens for lessons in democracy (Plutarch, Pyrrhus 1), where some became honorary citizens." to Athens to learn of democracy as they did not consider monarchy and certain aspects of democracy as opposite concepts.Brock, Roger and Hodkinson, Stephen. Alternatives to Athens: Varieties of Political Organization. Oxford University, 2000, p. 256, ISBN 0198152205. "Whatever snooty outsiders may have thought of their level of culture and political development, the Molossians saw themselves by 370 as having a polity, membership of which could be properly denoted by the word politeia. Citizenship and monarchy were not incompatible concepts." Olympias, the mother of Alexander the great, was a member of this celebrated sovereign house. War In 385 BC, the Molossians were attacked by Illyrians instigated and aided by Dionysius.Hammond, N.G.L. A History of Greece to 322 B.C. Clarendon Press, 1986, p. 479, ISBN 0198730969. ...Molossi, Alcetas, who was a refugee at his court, Dionysius sent a supply of arms and 2,000 troops to the Illyrians , who burst into Epirus and slaughtered 15,000 Molossians. Sparta intervened as soon as they had learned of the events and expelled the Illyrians, but Alcetas had regained his... of Syracuse to place Alcetas that was a refugee in his court to the throne. Dionysius planned to control all the Ionian Sea. Sparta had intervenedHammond, N.G.L. A History of Greece to 322 B.C.. Clarendon Press, 1986, p. 470, ISBN 0198730969. Sparta had the alliance of Thessaly, Macedonia, and Molossia in Epirus, which she had helped to stave off an Illyrian invasion. as soon as the events became known and expelledDiodorus Siculus. Library, Book 15.13.1. the Illyrians who were led by Bardyllis.Boardman, John. The Cambridge Ancient History. Cambridge University Press, 1923, p. 428, ISBN 0521233488. Bardyllis who seize power and set himself up as king of the Dardani...Forming and alliance with Dionysius tyrant of Syracuse he killed 15,000 Molossians. Despite being aided by 2000 Greek hoplites and five hundred suits of Greek armour the Illyrians were defeated by the Spartans led by Agesilaus but not before ravaging the region and killing 15,000 Molossians. In 360 BC, in another Illyrian attack the Molossian king Arymbas evacuated his non-combatant population to Aetolia and let the Illyrians loot freely.The stratagem worked and the Molossians fell upon the Illyrians now encumbered with booty and defeated them.Diodorus Siculus. Library. Books 14.92, 15.2, 16.2. List of Molossians *Neoptolemus son of Achilles and Deidamia (List of Ancient Epirotes#Aeacid dynasty till 231 BC) *Molossus son of Neoptolemus and Andromache *Alcon (6th c.BC) suitor of Agariste of Sicyon *Admetus, who gave asylum to Themistocles *Eidymmas prostates, secretary Amphikorios gave citizenship το Philista, wife of Antimachos from Arrhonos, under King Neoptolemos I 370-368 BCCabanes, L'Épire 534,1. *Tharyps theorodokos in Epidauros 365 BCIG IV²,1 95 line 31 *Myrtale Olympias mother of Alexander the Great ca. 376–316 BC List of Ancient Epirotes#In Macedonian Kingdom *Arybbas winner in Tethrippon Olympics 344 BCJSTOR: Neoptolemus at Delphi: Pindar, "Nem." 7.30 ff *Aristomachos prostates , Menedamos secretary gave citizenship to Simias of Apollonia,resident at Theptinon, under King Alexander I 342-330/329 BCCabanes, L'Épire 540,4. *Pyrrhus of Epirus (318-272 BC) most prominenent Epirote King. *Deidamia II of Epirus (died c. 233 BC) last surviving representative of the royal Aeacid dynasty *Kephalos, Antinoos sided with Perseus against the Romans (Third Macedonian War) ~ 170 BCSmith, William. Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology Little Brown, 1859, p. 191. "ANTI'NOUS (Άντίνους), a chief among the Molossians in Epeirus, who became involved, against his own will, in the war of Perseus, king of Macedonia, against the Romans." References See also *Chaonians *Chaonia *Thesprotians *Olympias *Pyrrhus Category:Alexander the Great Category:Ancient Greece Category:Ancient tribes in Epirus bg:Молоси (народ) ca:Molossos de:Molosser (Volk) el:Μολοσσοί es:Molosia fr:Molosses (Épire) ia:Molossia it:Molossi (popolo) hu:Molosszoszok pt:Molóssia ru:Молосцы sq:Molosët sh:Molosijci fi:Molossit sv:Molossier